A Fact for Mechanics

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A FACT FOR MECHANICS.

One of the ideas pressed out by the late meetings to discuss the Mayoralty question in New York¹ is worthy of special notice: We allude to the doctrine, (no new one but strangely neglected,) that the laboring classes, the operatives, are always the actual payers of taxes—always the ones whose labor, or what their labor brings, pays all the expenses of town, city, State, and National government. A stern fact! All the diffuse outlays in cities—the enormous bonuses—the fat contracts—the Mayor’s, Aldermen’s, Departments’, pickings and stealings, direct and indirect—the tens, hundreds, thousands of golden leaks—those millions that find their way through this, that, and the other channel into lucky pockets—all these are first earned by workingmen’s hard fists, strong backs, and muscular legs. The expenditures for the State Government the same; and the Federal Government the same. All the Ambassadors’ salaries—those Congressmen’s salaries—the big buildings at Washington—the ships of war—the army and all its officers—the support of countless swarms of big and little suckers, fastened on the treasury—all, we say, first comes from the earnings of working men and working women.

It passes afterwards through several channels, perhaps, but the fact surely settles down to what we have just stated. It is demonstrable; and indeed is now recognized by all leading political economists. Is it not indeed a stern fact? We have simply to add—The mechanics in cities, pay the largest proportion of the whole of the expenses of government, though mechanics are in number considerably less than the agriculturists of the land.

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